§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to require climate change agreement participants to move from energy efficiency targets to absolute emissions targets. [38613]
§ Mr. MeacherI have no plans to require climate change agreements participants to move from energy efficiency targets to absolute emissions targets.
§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's policy is towards the proposed EU emissions trading scheme. [38615]
§ Mr. MeacherThe Government are pleased with the Commission's interest in trading and the opportunity it offers to European business and Governments. The commission's proposal for an EU emissions trading scheme does differ in some important respects from the UK scheme, but it is just that—a proposal. Negotiations are only at an early stage and it is far from clear what the final EU scheme will look like. The Government's policy is to work with the Commission and other member states during the negotiation process to develop the best possible emissions trading scheme for the EU and that any EU scheme is compatible with or, at the very least, has sufficient flexibility for established national schemes to run their course.
§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the compatibility of the United Kingdom's emissions trading system with the emissions trading scheme proposed by the European Union. [38614]
§ Mr. MeacherThe Commission launched a formal proposal for an EU Emissions Trading Scheme on 26 October 2001. There are a number of differences between the proposed EU scheme and the UK scheme which is to be launched in April. These include that the proposal requires mandatory, not voluntary participation; has limited sectoral coverage; only includes CO2, rather than all six greenhouse gases; includes emissions from electricity generators directly (rather than assigning
74W
Percentage savings at each milestone (cumulative-primary energy) Sector Base year 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 Aerospace—Society of British Aerospace companies1 2001 N/A N/A N/A N/A 8.5 Aluminium 1990 27.40 29.50 30.50 31.00 32.20 Craft Bakers—National and Scottish Associations of Master Bakers2 Bakeries 1999 1.5 3.5 5.0 7.0 9.0 Shops 0.5 1.5 2.5 3.5 4.5 Brewers 1999 3.00 5.20 7.30 9.50 11.60 Cement 1990 13.10 16.10 22.60 23.60 25.60 Ceramics—British Ceramics Confederation Pottery 2000 2.8 8.9 10.2 11.4 12.4 Heavy clay 2.2 4.7 6.4 8.9 10.22 Fletton brick 0.9 2.4 4.3 6.2 8.1 Refactories 3.1 4.8 5.8 8.4 10.33 Cer materials 2.4 4.8 7.1 8.7 10.1 emissions from power generation to the end-user of the electricity); and, has a bureaucratic rather than market-based allocation procedure. However, negotiations are only just beginning and it is far from clear what the final shape of the EU scheme will look like.
§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she intends to end the emissions trading scheme when an EU-wide scheme is introduced. [38616]
§ Mr. MeacherThe Commission's proposal for an EU emissions trading scheme does differ from the UK scheme, but it is just that—a proposal. Negotiations are only at an early stage and it is far from clear what the final EU scheme will look like. The Government have always said they will endeavour to manage any transition to an EU scheme and to wider international trading as seamlessly as possible. The UK will work with the Commission and other member states during the negotiation process to ensure that the schemes are compatible or, at the very least, there is sufficient flexibility for established national schemes to run their course.